Written by a special consultant to three Secretaries of War, this book explains how the Allies solved the problem of bringing World War II in the Pacific Theater to a close. Using the relevant documents available in 1961, Herbert Feis traces the discussions of possible steps to take to end the war and the question of the fate of the Emperor of Japan. He recounts the events leading to the decision to drop the atomic bomb and its aftermath, explaining that the atomic bomb was seen as a military weapon needed to end the war as quickly as possible. His final two chapters, which discuss whether the war could have been ended earlier and why America chose to use the atomic bombs against Japan, explore other options, but find problems with all of them.